Box Score



NAMPA, Idaho — Eighty strong minutes and then: Disappointment.

A strategic game of stingy defense and strong counter-attacks was spoiled in the final 10 minutes as the Northwest Nazarene women's soccer team fell for the second straight game in overtime on Saturday at Finkbeiner Park on the NNU campus.

Deliberately protecting a 1-0 lead, the Crusaders couldn't finish off Central Washington, which tied the game with 9 minutes, 10 seconds remaining in regulation, then won it 34 seconds into overtime, handing NNU a second straight, heartbreaking 2-1 defeat.

"I'm a little tired of losing in overtime," said NNU head women's soccer coach Mary Trigg, whose team has lose three games in overtime, including a 2-1 overtime setback versus Simon Fraser last Saturday.

"We didn't do enough to hold onto our win," Trigg added of the game against CWU. "We were up 1-0 with nine minutes left; I've said it all year, when we play well is when we keep the ball and we're playing to feet and keep the ball moving. When we struggle is when we turn the ball over."
 

Possessing the ball worked well much of the day for the Crusaders (5-7-1 overall, 2-5-1 GNAC), who despite being outshot 31-8 by the Wildcats (5-8, 3-5), staved off any serious scoring chances with solid defense.

And with one strong push forward the Crusaders grabbed the lead in the game.

Ashley Cook-Cox sent a ball from midfield out to teammate Hannah Holm on the left wing and she raced in toward the Wildcat goal.

Holm centered a pass toward on-charging teammate Lexi Fesenbek, who simply re-directed the pass past Central Washington goalkeeper Sydney Williams to give NNU a 1-0 lead with 13:21 left until halftime.

The Crusaders tried to pad their lead with more timely counter-attacks, but couldn't finish off another chance, which proved costly in the final minutes as Alexi Manning scored a tough-angle goal with 9:10 remaining for the Wildcats, tying the game.

"We had a couple chances, our forwards were getting in behind, but we've got to shoot the ball," Trigg said.

Unable to put another chance away, the Crusaders saw Central Washington snag the win in overtime to spoil 80 strong minutes of action.

Daniele Ortiz finished with 10 saves in the contest for NNU, which makes a quick road-trip to play at Western Oregon on Thursday before returning to Finkbeiner Park to host Concordia for "Senior Day" next Saturday at noon.